So, we finally finished it. Demon Slayer Season 4, better known as the Hashira Training Arc, has officially wrapped up, leaving a massive, explosion-shaped hole in our Sunday nights. Honestly? It was a weird one. If you’ve been following Tanjiro’s journey since the beginning, you probably felt the shift in pacing immediately. It wasn't the usual breakneck speed of decapitating demons in a burning district or a swordsmith village. Instead, it was... well, training. Lots of it.
Some people hated the "filler" feel. Others loved the breathing room.
The reality is that Ufotable had a monumental task with this specific slice of Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga. The Hashira Training Arc is notoriously short in the source material—only about nine chapters. To turn that into a full television season, the studio had to get creative. They didn't just adapt the manga; they expanded the lore, giving us glimpses into characters like Gyomei Himejima and Sanemi Shinazugawa that we desperately needed before the final bloodbath.
The Hashira Training Arc was never about the fights
Let’s be real. If you came into Demon Slayer Season 4 expecting the high-octane intensity of the Entertainment District, you were probably disappointed for the first six episodes. It was slow. We saw Tanjiro pushing rocks. We saw Zenitsu moping. We saw a lot of muscular men shouting while standing under waterfalls.
But here’s why it mattered: the emotional stakes.
Until now, the Hashira were mostly distant icons. They were the "superheroes" of the Demon Slayer Corps—untouchable, slightly insane, and incredibly powerful. This season humanized them. We learned about Gyomei’s tragic past with the orphans, a sequence that Ufotable handled with devastating beauty. We saw the friction between Giyu Tomioka and the rest of the group, rooted in his deep-seated survivor's guilt. Without these moments, the upcoming battles in the Infinity Castle wouldn't hurt nearly as much. You have to care about the person holding the sword before you watch them risk everything.
✨ Don't miss: Why October London Make Me Wanna Is the Soul Revival We Actually Needed
Ufotable’s "filler" actually improved the story
Usually, "filler" is a dirty word in anime. We think of Naruto characters chasing a ninja ostrich or Bleach taking a year-long detour. However, the anime-original content in Demon Slayer Season 4 served a legitimate purpose.
Take the sparring matches, for instance. In the manga, these were brief panels. In the anime, Ufotable turned them into visual spectacles. The duel between Sanemi and Obanai Iguro wasn't just "cool animation"—it established their combat styles and their sheer lethality. It also gave the lower-ranked slayers a moment in the sun. Seeing the "nameless" slayers work their tails off made the Corps feel like a real organization, not just a backdrop for Tanjiro’s growth.
Then there’s the Muzan Kibutsuji factor.
The tension throughout the season was palpable because we knew he was searching for Nezuko. The way the show utilized Nakime (the Biwa Demon) to scout the slayers added a layer of psychological horror that the previous seasons lacked. It felt like a countdown. Every time a character laughed or ate a rice ball, you knew, deep down, that the peace was an illusion.
That finale changed everything
If the first seven episodes were a slow burn, the finale was a supernova. The confrontation between Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Muzan Kibutsuji is easily one of the most significant moments in the entire series. It wasn't a sword fight. It was a clash of ideologies.
🔗 Read more: How to Watch The Wolf and the Lion Without Getting Lost in the Wild
Muzan believes in individual perfection and eternal life. Ubuyashiki, despite his frail body, proved that human will is a flame that passes from person to person, never truly dying. And then, he blew himself up.
The sheer audacity of that move caught everyone off guard. The animation during the explosion and the subsequent arrival of the Hashira was peak Ufotable. The transition into the Infinity Castle—a sprawling, non-Euclidean nightmare of shifting rooms and gravity—set the stage for what is coming next. It wasn't just a cliffhanger; it was a promise.
Why the movie trilogy is the right move
Now that Demon Slayer Season 4 is over, the big question is: why three movies?
The "Infinity Castle Arc" is massive. It is the meat of the final conflict. If they tried to cram it into a standard 12-episode season, the pacing would be a disaster. By choosing a trilogy of films, Ufotable is essentially saying they have the budget and the time to give every single fight—and there are some legendary ones coming—the "Episode 19" treatment.
Think about the Akaza rematch. Think about the battle against Upper Moon One, Kokushibo. These aren't just fights; they are multi-chapter epics. On a cinema screen, with a theatrical budget, these sequences are going to be industry-defining.
💡 You might also like: Is Lincoln Lawyer Coming Back? Mickey Haller's Next Move Explained
There is a downside, though. The wait.
We are likely looking at a multi-year rollout for these films. For fans who want the conclusion now, it’s a tough pill to swallow. But looking at the quality of the production in the Hashira Training Arc finale, it’s hard to argue with the results. They are clearly prioritizing visual fidelity over speed.
What you should do while waiting for the Infinity Castle
If you’re reeling from the end of the season and don't know what to do with your life, there are a few ways to prep for the finale.
First, go back and watch the "Mugen Train" movie again. Not the TV version, the actual film. Pay attention to how Akaza talks about the Hashira. Then, re-watch the final episode of Season 4. The parallels between Rengoku’s sacrifice and Ubuyashiki’s sacrifice are vital for understanding the theme of the "everlasting flame."
If you can’t wait, the manga is complete. You can read the remaining chapters (roughly 140 to 205) to see how it ends. But be warned: the manga’s art, while good, doesn't have the kinetic energy of the anime. Some fans prefer to go in blind to experience the animation fresh.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Track the official Ufotable social channels: They usually announce movie release windows during major Japanese holidays or "Kimetsu Matsuri" events.
- Re-read Chapters 128-136: This covers the Hashira Training in the manga so you can see exactly what was added by the anime team.
- Pay attention to the soundtrack: Go Shiina and Yuki Kajiura have been dropping subtle character themes this season that will definitely return in the movies. Identifying Giyu’s or Sanemi’s motifs now will make the emotional payoffs in the Infinity Castle much stronger.
The training is over. The real war has finally begun.